Welcome to another edition of weekly uplifting stories!
Let’s celebrate the unsung heroes who are making the world a better place.
“The need is great and so are the opportunities to make a difference.” — Paul Newman
This week, we have uplifting stories about:
- One man’s DIY project saves endangered butterfly species
- Preschool teacher donates her liver to ex-student
- 2-year-old golden doodle becomes a wellness dog to the fire department
- Local hero fulfills his true calling
Weekly Uplifting Stories – June 17th, 2024
Man single-handedly repopulates San Francisco’s endangered butterfly species
Thanks to Tim Wong’s conservation effort, San Francisco residents can witness the beautiful sight of the California pipevine swallowtail butterfly.
Tim Wong is an aquatic biologist at the California Academy of Sciences, who made it his personal mission to repopulate the dark blue swallowtail after learning the species was becoming rare in the city.
He raised the butterflies in his backyard by creating a hospitable habitat for them. Within a few years, he was able to bring thousands of butterflies to the San Francisco Botanical Garden.
“Improving habitat for native fauna is something anyone can do. Conservation and stewardship can start in your very own backyard,” said Tim.
He says something as simple as planting native flora host plants in your backyard garden can support the conservation of the butterfly population.
Preschool teacher donates a part of her liver to one of her former students
5-year-old Ezra was in dire need of a liver transplant and was placed on the waiting list, after being diagnosed with end-stage liver disease.
When Carissa Fisher, Ezra’s former preschool teacher saw Ezra’s mom Karen’s social media post about him needing a liver transplant, she immediately stepped up to help him and applied to become a living donor.
As luck would have it, Carissa turned out to be a perfect match for Ezra!
She went to Ezra’s home to surprise the 5-year-old with this amazing news. Ezra is now set to receive a part of Carissa’s liver.
“You never know whose life you are going to be changing, it was emotional. It made me very happy to see both of them happy,” said Carissa.
Cooper the wellness dog is helping firefighters prioritize mental health
Cooper is a Goldendoodle K9 who is the first-ever certified wellness dog at the Glendale Fire Department.
This good boy offers emotional support to his colleagues, who work long hours and respond to tragic situations on a regular basis.
Cooper is trained to make coping a bit easier for firefighters.
“For firefighters, if they take a difficult call, usually their stress hormone is higher,” Cooper’s handler Korin Peltier said. “Cooper is going to be able to detect that and go over to them and lower their blood pressure, lower their heart rate, and bring it back to their baseline.”
Head over to Instagram to view the cutest and most adorable video clips of Cooper.
Man turns life-changing accident into motivation
After a near-drowning accident, Noail Isho decided to take up swimming lessons at the Boise YMCA, Idaho, United States.
Once he mastered swimming, he joined the swim team and eventually took the job of lifeguard.
One day at work, he helped save a man who had a cardiac arrest, and that’s when he realized his true calling – a career in medicine.
He has since finished medical school and is about to start his residency in Seattle.
Noail has been able to make a remarkable career transition, despite his rough start in life. His story is a great example of perseverance paying off.
“It’s not just my story, it’s everyone’s story,” Noail said. “It’s my parents story, it’s the Y’s story, because all these entities have had some kind of effect into the story altogether.”
Goodness is Everywhere – and You Can Spread it Too!
It’s important to remember that though we see a lot of ugliness on the news and in the media, there are a lot of positive, uplifting stories too – you just might have to look harder to find them.
Also don’t forget that you can spread positivity and happiness wherever you go too – holding the door for someone, helping someone across the street, or even just stopping for a conversation with a friendly stranger. You never know when you are going to make an impact on someone.
If you need an extra boost, check out our article on 10 Positive News Sites You Should Follow. See you next week!
Photo by NO NAME
